Assaulting, kidnapping, and assassinating the government officials of the United States
# Assaulting, kidnapping, and assassinating the government officials of the United States

Criminal law :

Elements :

Actus reus

Mens rea

Causation

Concurrence :

Scope of criminal liability :

Accessory

Accomplice

Complicity

Corporate

Principal

Vicarious :

Severity of offense :

Felony

Infraction (also called violation)

Misdemeanor :

Inchoate offenses :

Attempt

Conspiracy

Incitement

Solicitation :

Offences against the person :

Sexual offenses :

Adultery

Bigamy

Child sexual abuse

Cybersex trafficking

Fornication

Homosexuality

Incest

Indecent exposure

Masturbation

Obscenity

Prostitution

Rape

Sex trafficking

Sexual assault

Sexual slavery

Voyeurism :

Crimes against property :

Arson

Arms trafficking

Blackmail

Bribery

Burglary

Embezzlement

Extortion

False pretenses

Forgery

Fraud

Gambling

Intellectual property violation

Larceny

Payola

Pickpocketing

Possessing stolen property

Robbery

Smuggling

Tax evasion

Theft

Trespass to land

Vandalism, Mischief :

Crimes against justice :

Compounding

Malfeasance in office

Miscarriage of justice

Misprision

Obstruction

Perjury

Perverting the course of justice :

Crimes against the public :

Apostasy

Begging

Censorship violation

Dueling

Genocide

Hostage-taking

Illegal consumption (such as prohibition of drugs, alcohol, and smoking)

Miscegenation

Piracy

Terrorism

Usurpation

War crimes :

Crimes against animals :

Cruelty to animals

Wildlife smuggling

Bestiality :

Crimes against the state :

Lèse-majesté

Treason

Espionage

Secession

Sedition

Subversion :

Defences to liability :

Automatism

Consent

Defence of property

Diminished responsibility

Duress

Entrapment

Ignorantia juris non excusat

Infancy

Insanity

Justification

Mistake (of law)

Necessity

Provocation

Self-defence :

Other common-law areas :

Contracts

Evidence

Property

Torts

Wills, trusts and estates :

Portals :

Law :

vte :

Assaulting, kidnapping, and assassinating the government officials of the United States, their families, and foreign dignitaries and official guests, is a crime under various statutes, including 18 U.S.C. § 111 (Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees), 18 U.S.C. § 112 (Protection of foreign officials, official guests, and internationally protected persons), 18 U.S.C. § 115 (Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official by threatening or injuring a family member), 18 U.S.C. § 351 (Congressional, Cabinet, and Supreme Court assassination, kidnapping, and assault), and 18 U.S.C. § 1751 (Presidential and Presidential staff assassination, kidnapping, and assault). Senator Robert Byrd stated, in introducing the bill that became 18 U.S.C. 351, "This legislation is needed to protect representative democracy. Passage would help guarantee the right of any Member of Congress to fulfill his constitutional duties and responsibilities as an elected official of our country." Until 1982, the legislation was silent as to the court's reach, but now it has been clarified that the court has extraterritorial jurisdiction over these offenses.

Minor assault or simple assault is usually punished as a misdemeanor with a base offense level of 4. When physical contact occurs or a deadly weapon is possessed and threatened, it typically escalates to a felony with a higher offense level, and when injury occurs, the penalties increase still further. When there was intent to commit murder, still higher penalties apply. Life imprisonment or the death penalty applies in cases of successful murder. Major penalties apply to kidnapping.

